Brachteantha plant named ‘KLEBB05351’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Brachteantha  plant named ‘KLEBB05351’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; inflorescences with light red-colored involucral bracts; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Brachteantha bracteata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEBB05351’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofBrachteantha plant, botanically known as Brachteantha brachteata, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘KLEBB05351’.

The new Brachteantha is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of theprogram is to create and develop new Brachteantha cultivars withuniformly mounded plant habit, early and freely flowering habit andattractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Brachteantha originated from an open-pollination by the Inventorin 2002 of a proprietary selection of Brachteantha brachteata identifiedas code number SP W 003, not patented, as the female, or seed, parentwith an unknown selection of Brachteantha brachteata as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Brachteantha was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedopen-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany in2003. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant habit,freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescences.

Asexual reproduction of the new Brachteantha by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since 2003, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Brachteantha are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar KLEBB05351 has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KLEBB05351’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KLEBB05351’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofBrachteantha:

-   -   1. Upright somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Inflorescences with light red-colored involucral bracts.    -   5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the        foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants ofthe new Brachteantha differed from plants of the female parent selectionprimarily in involucral bract color as plants of the female parentselection have light pink-colored involucral bracts.

Plants of the new Brachteantha can be compared to plants of theBrachteantha cultivar Mohave Pink, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the newBrachteantha differed from plants of the cultivar Mohave Pink in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachteantha were less vigorous than plants        of the cultivar Mohave Pink.    -   2. Plants of the new Brachteantha flowered earlier than plants        of the cultivar Mohave Pink.    -   3. Plants of the new Brachteantha had darker colored involucral        bracts than plants of the cultivar Mohave Pink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Brachteantha. This photograph shows the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Brachteantha. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘KLEBB05351’ grown in acontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotograph, following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Stuttgart, Germany during the winter and spring in aglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices whichapproximate those generally used in commercial Bracteantha production.During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C.to 22° C., night temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 18° C. and lightlevels ranged from 30,000 lux to 55,000 lux. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants weregrown in 12-cm containers and were about twelve weeks old when thephotograph and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Brachteantha brachteata cultivar    KLEBB05351.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Brachteantha brachteata identified as code number SP W 003,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Bracteantha            bracteata, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 20° C. to            22° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at 18° C. to            20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 16 days at            20° C. to 22° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 22 days at            18° C. to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright, somewhat outwardly            spreading and uniform plant habit with dense foliage and            inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles.            Moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 25 cm to 30 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 30 cm to 32 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit            with lateral branches developing potentially at every node;            pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length: About            6 cm to 14 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 4 mm. Internode            length: About 3 mm to 12 mm. Aspect: Mostly upright.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 137D.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple,            sessile. Length: About 10 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; rough.            Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and fully            expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 137A.            Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C;            venation, 137D.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Rotate composite inflorescence form with            lanceolate-shaped ray florets. Involucral bracts and disc            florets developing acropetally on a capitulum.            Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on strong            peduncles. Inflorescences face mostly upright. Freely            flowering habit; about two open inflorescences and about            three to five developing inflorescences per lateral branch;            about 35 developing and open inflorescences per plant.            Inflorescences persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Time to flower.—Early flowering habit; plants begin            flowering about 74 days after planting. Plants flower            throughout the summer in Germany.        -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescence maintain good            substance for about 12 to 14 days on the plant.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About            8 mm. Shape: Roughly conical. Color: 60C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.5 cm. Depth (height):            About 3 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm. Receptacle diameter:            About 2 cm. Receptacle height: About 5 mm.        -   Involucral bracts.—Shape: Lanceolate. Length, largest            bracts: About 1 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 3 mm. Apex:            Cuspidate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous; papery. Orientation: Flat to slightly incurved.            Number of involucral bracts per inflorescence: About 100 in            about five whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened,            upper surface: 64A; becoming closer to 63D with development.            When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 64C.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the            receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.            Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc            florets per inflorescence: About 150. Color: Close to 17A.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length:            About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex:            Acuminate. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 137A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Rough.            Color: 137D.        -   Reproductive organs (present on disc florets            only).—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret: Numerous.            Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther            color: 24A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 24B.            Gynoecium: Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 23C. Style            color: 19C to 19D. Ovary color: 19C to 19D.        -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Brachteantha have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Brachteanthas.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Brachteantha have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about    36° C.

1. A new and distinct Brachteantha plant named ‘KLEBB05351’ asillustrated and described.